SEPT. 16 SkyFORUM SATELLITE PANELS TO FOCUS ON MDU MARKET, FINANCE AND INTERACTIVE TV

--Top Industry Decisionmakers Discuss Where Satellite TV is Headed--

ALEXANDRIA, VA, August 25, 1999 - The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association (SBCA) and SkyTRENDS today announced the panelists who will discuss where the Direct-to-Home satellite television industry is headed during three panel sessions planned for the 12th semi-annual SkyFORUM satellite/ financial symposium, to be held Thursday, Sept. 16 at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

The Direct Broadcast Satellite (DBS) industry has targeted the multiple dwelling unit (MDU) marketplace as the next big potential area for subscriber growth. "Serving MDU Markets: Fool’s Gold or Golden Opportunity?" will address building owners’ experiences with alternative video providers, which services are now available and which are lacking, and five-year projections for satellite’s penetration into this market. Mike Feazel, managing editor, Communications Daily, will moderate the 10 a.m. session among: Rodney Clark, vice president, government affairs, Community Associations Institute (CAI); Buddy Davis, president, Davis Antenna; Kathleen Keating-Hanafan, vice president, telecommunications, Archstone Communities; and Bryan Rader, president, Apartment Media Works. Bill Burhop, executive director, Independent Cable and Telecommunications Association (ICTA), will begin this 60-minute session with a brief MDU overview.

"Straight From the Street" will provide Wall Street’s view of which DTH companies are on target and which need to refocus. Leading satellite analysts will discuss local signals, digital audio radio services (DARS), MDUs, and interactive partnerships. Panelists include: Ty Carmichael, Credit Suisse First Boston; Rob Kaimowitz, ING Barings; Lou Kerner, Goldman Sachs; Armand Musey, Banc of America Securities; Doug Shapiro, Deutsche Bank Securities; and Tom Watts, Merrill Lynch. The Wall Street panel runs from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

"Transforming Television From Familiar to Full-Service" will address the interactive services being planned and offered by DBS, including discussions of new fall ’99 products. Bahns Stanley, executive vice president, local, digital and new media, The Weather Channel, will moderate this session from 2:40 p.m. - 3:40 p.m. to include discussions of current and potential interactive audiences, comparisons of interactive services offered by cable and by satellite, and the differences between products being offered by DIRECTV and DISH Network. Panelists include: Larry Chapman, executive vice president, DIRECTV; Morgan Guenther, vice president business development, TiVo; Mark Jackson, senior vice president, satellite services division, EchoStar Communications Corp.; Jan Steenkamp, CEO, OpenTV; and Maggie Wilderotter, CEO, Wink.

The Sept. 16 SkyFORUM also features one-on-one interviews with satellite industry executives: Charlie Ergen, chairman and CEO, EchoStar Communications Corp.; Eddy Hartenstein, president, DIRECTV; Mark Pagon, president, chairman and CEO, Pegasus Communications Corp.; and Rodney Weary, president, Golden Sky Systems, Inc. Bob Phillips, CEO, National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative (NRTC) will also make a presentation. Decker Anstrom, president and CEO, The Weather Channel, will give the luncheon address at 2 p.m. For more information or to register, please visit www.sbca.com or contact Rachel Zink, SBCA, at 703-549-6990 ext. 363 or rzink@satellite.org. Media seeking SkyFORUM press credentials should contact Jennifer Buckley at 703-549-6990 ext. 351 or jbuckley@satellite.org or Jamie Stitzer, Torrance/PTNY, 212-521-5247.

SkyTRENDS is the market research, data collection and reporting program for the home satellite industry. This program is a joint venture between Media Business Corp and the SBCA. SkyFORUM was developed to create a higher awareness of the satellite industry among the financial and investment communities, and the media.

The Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association of America (SBCA) is the national trade organization representing all segments of the home satellite industry. It is committed to expanding the utilization of satellite technology for the broadcast delivery of entertainment, news, information and educational programming.